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12.07.2012

(FinalCall.com) - Days after a social media campaign by peace activists was started to get Grammy-award winning singer and musician Stevie Wonder to cancel his scheduled headline appearance at a fundraiser for the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, it was announced that the icon would not be performing for the Israeli cause.

“I believe that after hearing from many people, it pricked Mr. Wonder’s conscience and enabled him to do the right thing,” said Mauri Salaakhan, head of the Peace and Justice Foundation. “I really felt in my heart that if any appeal was made, directly or indirectly, he would change his mind. He’s a very conscious brother.”

“I was surprised that he even agreed to do it. I thought he was more aware of the Palestinian situation,” he said.

Mr. Wonder had agreed to perform Dec. 6, with an orchestra conducted by Grammy-winning producer and composer David Foster, according to Arutz Sheva Israeli Media Network. A replacement for Mr. Wonder has not been announced. Barbra Streisand performed last year.

The Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported that Mr. Wonder’s representatives will claim that he did not know the nature of the group, the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces, and that he believes such a performance would be incongruent with his status as a UN “Messenger of Peace,” according to a source who has read e-mail exchanges between Mr. Wonder’s representatives and organizers of the event. [READ MORE]